Press-plate.



No. 784,259. PATENTED MAR. 7, 1905.

A. W. FRENCH.

PRESS PLATE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 18. 1904.

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Patented March 7, 1905.

ALFRED V. FRENCH, OF PIQUA, OHIO.

PRESS-PLATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,259, dated March '7, 1905.

Application filed July 18, 1904. Serial No. 217,006.

To all whom it 11mg concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED W. FRENCH, a citizen of the United States residing at Piqua, in the county of Miami and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Press-Plates, of which the following is aspecilication.

This invention relates more particularly to press-plates employed in presses for expressingoil from meals, seeds, and otheroleaginous substances.

Heretofore metal press-plates have been used without provision for compressing the cake along the edges, in which case the cake has been left with an excessive amount of soft or partially-pressed edge portion, or the plates have been provided with raised flanges or dams adjacent to their edges, which, while greatly reducing the amount of soft cake, so increased the compression between the raised portions of the plates as to prevent to a considerable extent the escape of the oil and also to prevent the full pressure upon the center of the cake. Another method has been to use with the plain metal press-plates heavy horsehair mats or specially-constructed molds reinforced or made heavier along the edges, to give special compression to the edges of the cake and diminish the amount of soft cake. The comparative advantages of these different methods are cheapness in favor of the plain metal plate and quality of work in favor of the hair mat; but as the hair mats are expensive and require to be frequently renewed they constitute a large item of expense in the operation of oil-mills.

The objects of this invention are to provide a press-plate of novel construction which overcomes the stated objections to the metal plates and mats or molds heretofore used, affords an elastic compression to the edges of the cake, thereby preventing the same from spreading in the press and diminishing the amount of soft marginal cake, and affords a thorough drainage to the oil liberated from the meal or material operated upon.

To this end the plate comprises a rigid metal body portion provided at opposite sides with elastic or yielding and pervious u'iarginal portions arranged in the plane of the body of the plate and constituting lateral extensions or continuations thereof.

ln the accompanyingdrawings, F igure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a press provided with plates embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a horizental section, on an enlarged scale, of the press, showing one of the press-plates in plan. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse section, on an enlarged scale, through two adjacent press-plates, showing the oil-cake and press-cloth in place between them. Fig. 4 is a broken view of three adjacent plates partly in edge elevation and partly in section through the elastic margin of the plates. 5 is a detail section of a modification of the plate shown in the preceding figures. Figs. 6 and 7'are respectively a detail horizontal and vertical section of another i'nodification.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents portions of the columns of a press of ordinary construction, and B pressplates, which, as usual, are supported in parallel relation one over the other and are movable vertically to compress the material, which, in the form of cakes confined in press cloths or envelops c, is placed between the press-plates. The latter are guided in their vertical movements by suitable means, preferably consisting of upright angle-bars 1), secured to the press-columns and having flanges entering notches in the opposite sides of the press-plates. The successive press-plates are loosely connected, so as to be movable relative to each other, by the usual bolts or links (Z.

In order to relieve the connections for the upper plates from the weight of the entire number of plates below them, the flanges of the guiding angle-bars are stepped, as shown in Fig. 1, and certain of the plates -for instance, every seventh onerests upon the steps or shoulders (Z of the guide-bars and only bears the weight of the six plates suspended from it by the bolts or links. 'iVhile this manner of mounting or supporting the plates is desirable, it is not an essential construction of a Fig. i

are staggered.

pass readily through it.

press equipped with the improved plate about to be described.

The body E of the press-plate or main portion thereof is rigid and made of metal, with its opposite faces preferably corrugated or fluted, as indicated at e. The opposite edge or marginal portions F of the plate are of an elastic or yielding and pervious nature, being formed of some suitable material such, for instance, as a thick fabric of woven horsehair, such as used for the well-known press mats. These elastic marginal portions are preferably provided on the opposite long sides only of the plate and are secured to the edges of the body of the plate in the plane of the latter by suitable attaching means. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings as an embodiment of the invention studs, bolts, or pins G are secured to and project out from the edges of the body of the plate and the yielding fabric is woven in and out around or about the studs, as shown at the left in Fig. 4. The elastic or yielding border is preferably somewhat thicker than the metal body of the plate and is of substantially the shape in cross-section shown in Fig. 3, so as to properly confine and give an elastic or yielding compression to the edge portions of the cake. The studs are connected outside of the fabric F by metal strips or bands H, which are drawn up to compress and hold the fabric by nuts it, screwed on the threaded outer ends of the studs, which project throughholes in the strips or bands. The upper and lower edges of the holding-strips and top and bottom surfaces of the elastic or yielding fabric are also preferably corrugated or fluted similarly to the opposite surfaces of ,the metal body of the plate, so that the faces of the plate as a whole are corrugated. As shown in Fig. 4, the corrugations of adjacent plates The plate thus formed has every advantage of the hair matit prevents the cake and press cloth from creeping and spreading under compression, takes the oil from the edge portions of the cake, and by reason of its elasticity brings no excessive pressure along the border of the cake tending to force the oil toward the center thereof. The fabric being pervious allows the oil to The space required for these plates in the press is also much less than that occupied when hair mats are used on top of metal plates, and more plates can be used in a press of ordinary size. By properly proportioning and shaping the elastic or yielding margins of the plates they will prevent the spreading of the cake and at the same time will compress under pressure sufficiently for the center of the cake to receive the full force of the ram.

Preferably the body of the plate is provided at opposite ends with side arms or pro ections 2', in which the guide-notches for the plates are formed and which constitute rigid confining portions between which the elastic or yielding margin is held from spreading endwise.

Greater elasticity may be secured in the marginal fabric, if desired, by inserting springs K between the holding-strips H and their securing-nuts it, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the fabric can flatten and spread more .under pressure.

In Figs. 6 and 7 is shown a construction whereby any tendency to break the securingstuds for the elastic or yielding fabric is avoided. One way of accomplishing this is to groove the edges of the metal body of the plate and secure the studs, bolts, or pins L in the groove by rivets Z passing through eyes at the inner ends of the studs, bolts, or rivets. With such construction if the cake be placed out of center in the press, so that the thick part comes between the elastic or yielding margins of the plates, the margins can yield sufficiently to prevent breaking the studs, bolts, or pins. This loose stud construction can be employed with either the form of plate shown in Fig. 5 or that illustrated in the other figures.

I claim as my invention-- 1. A press-plate comprising a rigid body portion and a yielding marginal portion disposed substantially in the plane of and projecting laterally from the rigid body portion, substantially as set forth.

2. A rigid press-plate provided with a yielding extension which projects from the rigid portion of the plate in the direction of the plane of the plate, substantially as set forth.

3. A press-plate comprising a rigid body portion and a yielding pervious marginal portion disposed substantially in the plane of and projecting laterally from the rigid body portion, substantially as set forth.

4:. A rigid press-plate provided with an extension of pervious fabric which projects from the rigid portion of the plate in the direction of the plane of the plate, substantially as set forth.

5. A rigid press-plate provided with a pervious marginal extension of woven horsehair which projects from the rigid portion of the plate in the direction of the plane of the plate, substantially as set forth.

6. A press-plate comprising a body, studs projecting from said body, and a yielding marginal portion supported by said studs, substantially as set forth.

7. A press-plate comprising a body, studs loosely connected to and projecting from said body, and a yielding marginal portion supported by said studs, substantially as set forth.

8. A press-plate comprising abody, studs projecting from said body, a strip connecting IIO said studs, and afabric Woven about said studs posed between said nuts and said strip, subbetWeen said strip and the body of the plate, stantially as set forth. to substantially as set forth. 1 d Witness my hand this 11th day of J uly,1904.

9. A press-plate comprising a boc y, stu s projecting from said body, a strip connecting ALFRE D FRENCH said studs, a fabric Woven about said studs be- Witnesses: tween said strip and the body of the plate, GRACE A. FRENCH, nuts secured on said studs, and springs inter- MARY W. FRENCH. 

